Nail Polish
by Miali
Summary: Ino finds a bottle of nail polish she had forgotten she owned. Oneshot. Mild ShikaInoCho


Title: Nail polish

Series: Naruto

Author: Miali

Summary: Ino finds a bottle of nail polish she forgot she owned. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em… So lemme alone.

Ino placed another object on top of her dresser – a long metal kunai. Other objects fumbled and squirmed appearing to get out of the weapon's way. A small bottle teetered on the edge of the piece of furniture before toppling to the carpet, leaving a small trail of dust hovering in the air before settling.

Ino bent to grasp the bottle and her pale fingers paused before lifting it by its long gold top.

---

Ino finished applying the last layer of dark liquid to her nails as her mother called from downstairs. "IIINO! You're going to be late!" She muttered to herself as she headed down the stairs.

"_Yes mom! I know!" Waving her hands to dry the polish, she stepped out of the house and into the warm dusty streets of Konoha. The sun glinted off of her fingertips fully displaying her favorite color, a deep crimson, to her eyes. She smiled as she saw Shikamaru, Chouji, and Asuma waiting for her up ahead and waved, hurrying toward them. _

---

Ino sat down on her bed, placing her ANBU mask beside her as her pale blue eyes studied the liquid in the bottle. Deadly fingers unscrewed the cap and pulled out the dark brush.

---

"_Going out?" _

"_Mm." Ino nodded to Chouji as she finished painting her left hand with the dark liquid. She flashed a quick smile to her roommate and from the other side of the room Shikamaru rolled his eyes._

"_Women." _

_Ino stuck her tongue out at him, before admiring her handiwork. The deep crimson color nearly the same as her favorite wine glinted back at her. "Well, I'm off."_

"_Have fun." Chouji smiled and watched her go. Lines creased his forehead as soon as the door closed behind her. _

_A few hours later he helped the pale girl as she stumbled through the door toward the bathroom and as he held her hair for her Shikamaru noted that some of the polish had chipped off. The next morning Ino woke late, and the next evening she sat on the couch fixing the cracks before heading out the door._

---

Ino looked into the clear bottle and noticed there was very little liquid left. She watched it swirl back and forth noticing all the colors that made up that certain shade of red.

---

Ino looked at her new ANBU mask. It was white, made of porcelain with an indiscernible animal shape. There were a few designs upon it, streaked out in her favorite shade of crimson. She nodded to her comrades and they left to protect the village she loved.

_Ino staggered through the door to her house and dragged herself up to her room. Normally she would've slept with Chouji and Shikamaru but tonight was different. She had kept the guest room as her own separate room and she tore herself from her bloodied clothes before making her way to the bathroom. _

_The same deep crimson color stained her hands where the fingerless gloves did not cover, caked and drying on her fingertips and nails. The blonde woman scrubbed at her hands but the color wouldn't disappear. _

_Chouji found her, crying on the floor and scratching at her hands. He led her to her room, and not wanting to wake Shikamaru curled up in bed with her his soft hands soothing her to a restless sleep. _

_The next morning, Ino took the bottle of nail polish and placed it at the back of the dresser – out of sight and mind._

_---_

Ino watched the dark bead of liquid fall from the brush into the bottle. Closing the top she walked to the window of her room and opened it, letting the hot summer air filter through. Leaning forward she hurled the bottle toward the street watching it smash, pieces scattering across the surface of the road and reflecting like jewels in the moonlight.

There was a dark splat on the street in her favorite color; the color of wine and blood; the color she hated. The moon and stars reflected off of it and the night warped it, mangling it into a sickening tar-black.

Upstairs, the window closed.

---

So there you have it. Merry late Christmas/whatever holiday you celebrate. I have a new Plushie chapter in the works, as well as that fic for YaoiIsWowie -- I should be done with it before new years... And with those two and this up I'll have made my goal for the new year! (20 chapters/stories) :Proud of herself:

Also, to the reviewer whobegs for a new plushie chapter with EVERY story -- STOP IT. Seriously, it's getting irritating. I'll post when I have a chapter done. If I don't have any ideas for it, don't expect anything for awhile. But like I said, by new year's. :3

I hope all of your holidays went well and I'm looking forward to spending a new year writing.


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